The Kids Aren't Alright
by Furied-Heart
Summary: Previously titled 'In the House of Flies'.
1. I'm a Nervous Wreck

"_Don't feel bad for the suicidal cats, gotta kill themselves nine times before they get it riiiiight,_" Patrick Stump's voice sang through the bedroom as the teenage girl tried to finish getting everything ready for the first day of the school year tomorrow.

Between Patrick's wailing from the Macbook and the clattering of hangers while she tried to put outfits together, she almost missed the slight knocking on the door.

"Come in!" Her airy voice called out. The door opened and an older man, late forties, peaked his head in.

"It's almost 11. You should get some sleep, kiddo." She walked over to the laptop and paused the song before turning to her father.

"As soon as I finish getting this stuff together," She replied with a scrunched up face and dropped face first onto the bed. He chuckled.

"Alright, just don't stay up too late. First day of school tomorrow. Goodnight, peanut." He waved before closing her door.

"Night, dad." She picked her head up and sighed heavily. The raven haired girl lounged on the bed just as her phone rang from its spot next to the bed. She picked it up and looked at the screen.

_Stiles_

This can't be good.

"City Morgue, you kill 'em, we grill 'em," She answered in a bored tone, looking at the polish on her toes. She'd have to give it a fresh coat before tomorrow.

"_Okay. One, that is disgusting, and two, do you have shoes on?_" Stiles replied. She looked down at her bare feet.

"Uh, no. I have no reason to because," She pulled her phone away to check the time, "It's now 11:02 and I'm going to bed."

"_What? No, no, I'm coming to pick you up,_" He practically yelled into her ear.

"Yeah, actually, I am. I'm still grounded from your last stupid adventure into your invasion of your father's privacy, remember?"

"_My dad got a call abo-_" She cut him off.

"Seriously, Stiles! I've been grounded the entirety of my summer! Because you felt the need to drag me to a car chase involving the police! With guns! There is a bullet hole in your Jeep, Stiles!"

"_Well that_-"

"And! And you were dumb enough to get us caught! My summer was ruined, Stiles!"

"_Okay, I'm sorry. I've said it like, five hundred times. I'm sorry._" There was silence. "_But my dad got a call_-"

"You are seriously damaged,"

"_There's a dead body in the woods_!"

"So your first instinct is to go and find it? This might qualify as worse than a car chase," She practically screeched. "Stiles, this is the last night of my sentence. School starts tomorrow and I'm home free. I am not messing this up," She heard a sigh from the other side of the line.

"_Jules. Think about it. When was the last time something like this happened? This is monumental!_"

"No! Do you know how many parties and get-togethers I've missed this summer, Stiles? Do you?"

"_You have to!_"

"Twelve! Twelve, Stiles! I missed all of Lydia's parties. I missed Danny's party. I missed everyone's parties because your stupid idea!"

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!_" He said, going faster and faster with each apology. "_I'm getting Scott now. I'll be at your house in five minutes. Wear black._" She just stared down at the phone, shocked, and at the same time, not. She shut her eyes and groaned.

"I am so dead."

* * *

After changing into black skinny jeans, a black hoodie, black converse, and a black beanie, she opened her door to see if she could hear anyone up. She heard her dad's snores from down the hall and didn't see light coming from under her brother's door across the hall. With the coast deemed clear, she silently shut her door and locked it, turning off the light before she walked to her window. Seconds later, Stiles pulled up to the curb in his Jeep. She opened the window and climbed over the sill and into the tree that was next to the house. With a successful shimmy down the trunk, she ran to the Jeep and hopped into the backseat.

"I hope you know that if I get caught, I will never see the light of day again." She growled to Stiles, kicking the back of his seat after she shut the door. She scooted to the space in between the driver and passenger seat and looked to the both of them. Stiles filled her in on a few details he left out, like how they called in every available officer for the search.

"Wait, wait, wait. If they found the body, what are they looking for?" The giddy look on Stiles' face was alarming. He was practically jumping in his seat.

"That's the best part; they only found half!" Scott just shook his head at Stiles, while she tried her best not to throw up in his backseat.

* * *

"This is the plan?" She asked incredulously. She crossed her arms in a huff after they all got out of the vehicle. "Just wander around the Preserve until we maybe come across a rotting corpse? What if we just happen to stumble across the thing or person that decided to _rip her in half_?" She frantically flailed towards Stiles, but he completely ignored her.

"We're seriously doing this?" Scott asked, looking just as freaked out about this as Julie felt.

"You're both alway bitching about how nothing ever happens here." Stiles replied as he took the initiative to go forward with us following.

"I just wanted to get some sleep before practice tomorrow." Julie snorted.

"Does riding the bench take that much out of you, Scotty?" She smirked, teasingly. He gave her a light shove before following Stiles.

"Ha ha" He said sarcastically. Scott and Stiles kept going back and forth between pessimism (Stiles) and optimism (Scott) about Scott actually playing first line on the lacrosse team. Julie learned to butt out when they get into their weird discussions about a sport she knew next to nothing about.

"Just out of curiosity," She spoke up, trampling over branches and leaves, "which half of the body are we looking for?"

"Didn't think about that," Stiles chuckled nervously.

"Or that the killer is loose," He stopped and looked at Julie and Scott.

"That too," He shrugged.

"Did you think about anything before you so graciously scooped us up and carted us to a murder scene?" She asked with a perfect eyebrow raised. He rolled his eyes and led them up a hill. Scott said something about being asthmatic and leaned against a tree while he shook his inhaler and inhaled the medicine.

"If we die because of Stiles, I am going to come back as one seriously pissed off ghost." She grunted to Scott before continuing forward, with him picking up the rear. Stiles suddenly scrambled to the ground once they made it to the top. When she heard barking, she grabbed Scott and immediately pulled him down to the ground. "_They have the dogs out?_" she quietly screeched to Stiles "We're screwed. It was nice knowing you guys, except not really because _I'm dead_!" Stiles shushed her. All they could see in between the trees were a row of lights moving in every direction, slowly coming towards them. Stiles suddenly jumped up and ran.

"Stiles!" Scott yelled as quietly as he could.

"Goddamn it!" Jules screeched and pulled Scott up and ran after Stiles. "Never again! Never again, Scott!" She seethed. We trampled through the leaves without trying to gain the attention of the entire Beacon Hills Police Department, as well as the surrounding forces.

"Stiles!" Scott called to him, and just as he turned around, he was surrounded by police and a barking German shepherd. Stiles, in shock, slid to the ground with the dog snapping mere inches from his face.

"Get down!" The officer yelled as Scott and Jules hid behind two trees. She pulled her hood over her head and with eyes as wide as saucers, she looked over to Scott and shook her head. _Maybe they didn't see us_.

"Hang on," The same officer said, "This little delinquent belongs to me." _Shit. Papa Stilinski_. The dog was still barking, but they couldn't see what was happening.

"Dad. Dad, uh, what are you doing?" He tried to play dumb. _Well, I mean, he didn't need to try._

"So, do you listen to all my phone calls?" He asked his son.

"No!" He defended himself, "Not the boring ones." Jules nearly smacked herself in the face at her friend's stupidity.

"And where are your partners in crime?" Her breathing stopped and if Scott wasn't asthmatic, she was sure he would've as well. She kept herself as still as a statue, silently praying to every deity that she could slide right through this one.

"Who, S-Scott? Julie?" He started stuttering. _Come on, kid, don't fold now. _"Scott's home. Jules is grounded. It's just me. In the woods. Alone." _There is no way the Sheriff believes him._

"Scott, you out there?" The Sheriff shouted. Julie looked to Scott and shook her head. "Julie?" at the silence that answered him, Papa Stilinski sighed. "Well, young man, I'm gonna walk you back to your car and you and I are gonna have a nice, long talk about invasion of privacy." We could hear Stiles groaning as his dad yanked him back to his jeep. Once they were gone, Jules let a deep breath out.

"Shit, Scott. How are we getting home?" She panicked. To make matters worse, thunder sounded from overhead and small droplet of water started to fall. She held her hand out. "Great," She grumbled and started going the direction the Sheriff dragged Stiles off in. "Come on, Scott."

* * *

They had been walking for god knows how long. She looked back at Scott trailing behind her, slightly wheezing. "You know, this is the last time I listen to him-" She was cut off by the sound of a wolf howling. She stopped in her tracks. "Did you hear that?" She looked over at Scott. His eyes were wide as he nodded. "I thought wolves weren't in California."

"Me too." There were noises coming from all around them, spooking them every second they were in that god-forsaken preserve. They stopped once the pair got to a clearing, but it didn't look like they were anywhere near an exit. Scott and Julie looked in every direction, hoping to see a sign of where to go. She turned back around and saw Scott zoned in on something in the distance. She walked back to him and squinted her eyes, but couldn't see anything.

"What are you-" Deer started to stampede towards them from the trees. Scott shouted and dropped his inhaler before grabbing Jules and running. And of course, as the stereotype of 'the girl running in the woods in the dark', her foot got caught on something on the ground, which resulted in Julie face-planting into the earth, pulling Scott down with her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her to the ground, shielding her from the giant deer jumping over them. Both of them were shouting, nearly getting trampled as a few deer almost fell on top of them. Once they were gone, Scott and Julie just looked at each other, breathing heavily.

"Thank you." She said dumbly before dropping her head onto the ground, still out of breath.

"Yeah," He replied, in shock at what just happened. They got up just as the leaves started to settle. "Crap, my inhaler," Both of them got their phones out to use the flashlights.

"I can't see anything," Julie said lamely as she searched the area. It seemed like they were digging through leaves for hours, but he needed it. A sudden scream from Scott made her whip around, but he was gone.

"Scott?!" She shouted for him. Jules spun around in a panic. "Scott!" She shouted more frantically. "This isn't funny, Scott!" When he didn't reply, she stopped where she was and looked around. "Don't panic. Don't panic. Do. Not. Panic." She kept telling herself. "Scott?" Julee whispered, hesitantly moving forward, taking each step slowly. Suddenly, screams echoed between the trees. Scott's screams. Her breathing became ragged in fear as she spun around, trying to locate where it was coming from. "Scott?!" She shouted back, her voice cutting out from the force of her shout. "Scott?!" Frantically, she ran through the woods, hoping to find him. Once she came to a fork in the path, she stopped, trying to make myself remember logic when it came to being lost in the woods. _You'd think five years in girl scouts would've taught me something, right?_ Just as she was about to head towards the right path, the sound of a snapping twig echoed behind her. "Scott?" She asked hesitantly before slowly turning around. What she saw wasn't Scott.

A giant, black, wolf-like creature stood about fifteen feet away from the shaking girl, teeth barred and breathing heavily. It's growl a low rumble, but she felt it vibrate through her chest. It's bright red eyes glowed in the darkness. _What do I do? What do I do?_ She started to back up slowly, but the creature growled directly at her in warning. When she stopped, it took a deep breath through its nose, like it was smelling her. Julie's eyes never left its face. Tears sprang to her hazel eyes. _This is it. I am going to die. I am going to be ripped in half by this thing and I never got to say goodbye to anyone. They'll most likely never find my body. Scott is probably dead. _

Her thoughts were racing through her head, going into full panic mode. The creature started to slowly stalk towards her.

_I will not die here._

She did the dumbest thing she could think of; she ran. Fight or flight kicked in, and she spun around, running as quickly as her legs would take her. She didn't know which direction she was going in, but she could practically feel that thing breathing down her neck. _It's toying with me_. _It could catch me in a heartbeat. I was the rabbit._ It was playing with its food.

The trees started to clear as she made out the entrance to the Preserve where Stiles had parked his Jeep earlier. She could make out the shape of Scott and she felt a new hope burst through her chest.

"Scott!" She screamed just as that thing lunged and tackled her down to the cold, wet ground. The right side of her face scraped against the dirt and gravel as she slid across the ground, along with a heavy pressure holding down her back. Tears started to make their way down her face, and soon she was sobbing. Her entire body trembled. Hot air exhaled along her neck and into her face. The black beanie was long gone, leaving her raven hair a wild mess. It put its muzzle next to her face and inhaled deeply, letting out a guttural groan.

"Julie!" Scotts shouts were muffled out by the noises directly in her left ear. "Julie! Where are you?!" Her eyes were clenched shut as she whimpered in helplessness.

She didn't know what this thing was doing, but the second it moved its face, she was flipped over onto her back, knocking the air out of her. Her hazel eyes opened and came face to face with the wolf. It's giant muzzle and red eyes were inches away from her own. It's muzzle got closer to her face, its hot, putrid breath coming towards her in humid puffs. Its muzzle turned her head to the left, showcasing her injured cheek. The animal slowly licked its tongue up her bleeding cheek. Her bloodshot eyes snapped back shut, willing her end to happen. Suddenly, a blinding, searing, white-hot pain took over Julie's body. The scream that came out of her mouth echoed through the trees, waking any nearby critters, sending them fleeing. She could vaguely hear Scott frantically shouting for her, then everything went black.

* * *

**_knock once for the father_**

**_twice for the son_**

**_three times for the holy ghost_**


	2. Down by the Alder

_POUND POUND POUND_

As Julie slowly came into consciousness, her body felt like it was cased in cement and it took a few minutes to get her bearings.

_POUND POUND POUND_

"_Julie! Wake up! You're gonna be late if you don't get up now!_" Ray called from the other side of the door. _The other side of my door. I'm home. How did I get home? _"_Jules?_"

"Alright! I'm up! I'll see you at school," She called to her older brother. She went to roll over onto the right side to get out of bed when she nearly screamed at the pain radiating through her body. The black hoodie that she pulled on last night was stuck to her body. Now that she actually looked down at herself, she realized that she was in the same dirty clothes she left in last night. _How did I get home? Scott must've found me._

She blindly searched her pockets and around the bed for her iPhone so she could text him. When she came up empty-handed, she started to panic. _Dad is most definitely going to kill me_.

_Defy parent by sneaking out, _check.

_Evade capture by the police, _check.

_Lose my brand new iPhone, _check.

_Run into a mutant wolf creature and get half of my face scraped off, as well as a giant bite to the shoulder, _and check.

Becoming curious, she pulled the sweatshirt to the side of her left shoulder, but was not prepared for it to be attached to her skin via dried blood. She shoved her fist between her teeth to stop screaming. Her breathing was heavy from the pain. Getting up, she wobbled her way to my bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like Satan took a sixteen-wheeler and drove it over her, reversed, and drove right back over her. Her normally almost black, straight hair looked like a bird had made a nest of it. Her makeup was smeared to high heaven. _Shit_. The right side of her face had large, angry red scrapes going from my temple to about an inch from the bottom of my jaw. _Dad is going to kill me_. She slowly peeled the sweatshirt off and took a look at the bite on her left shoulder.

"Oh my god," She could see where every tooth pierced through her fair skin. _I'm lucky it didn't take a chunk with it_. _Or the whole arm_. She went about cleaning it before she took a quick shower. When she got out she covered the bite in gauze and medical tape so it didn't bleed through her clothes.

* * *

Queens of the Stone Age blasted from the speakers of the black 2011 VW Beetle as it flew into the parking lot and into a parking space at school. "_Robots, robots, brainwashed babies, blood from a leech, spoken rabies. Spastic, plastic, battery acid. Yank on the leash, draggin you backwards. Oh my, Closed eyes, never see it coming." _Julie shut the car off and grabbed her leather bag from the passenger seat. She took a moment to breathe and collect herself before she took a final look at her face through the rear-view mirror. There was no way to even attempt to cover those giant scrapes up. _Time to bite the bullet._

* * *

Julie tried to ignore the stares that she got while she walked to her locker. _It's the first day of the year and it is off to a horrendous start._ She kept her head down and finally made it to the locker. There was a guy at the locker next to it on the right. I_ can't remember his name, but he's been in quite a few of my classes. _She thought to herself. He usually kept to himself. She ignored him as she put the combination in and shoved her bag in, along with the books she didn't need until later in the day, in. The feeling of someone looking at her seared into her, and when she finally turned to look, the guy next to her did a piss poor job of looking away in time.

"Can I help you?" She snapped at him, not really meaning to, but not correcting herself. She stared up at him. He was tall, taller than her by a good six or so inches, she was sure of it.

"Uh-uh, I-" He stuttered out. She raised a sculpted eyebrow and went back to searching for something in her bag when Scott and Stiles pretty much yanked her away from her locker to face them, effectively cutting off…whatever his name is.

"Julie! You're alive! Why haven't you answered my calls?" Scott asked, relieved to see her, much to her confusion.

"Oh my god, your face," She glared hotly at Stiles.

"Yeah, my face! This is all your fault, Stiles! I told you I didn't want to go and look at what happened!" She pointed to the scratches. She was seeing red just looking at him. "I lost my phone last night, which reminds me. Why are you surprised that I'm okay? Didn't you bring me home last night?"

"What?" He asked dumbly.

"I woke up in my bed." She stated plainly. Scott shook his head in confusion.

"Jules, I couldn't find you last night. I heard you scream and you were gone." His eyes had a shine to them.

"Wait, so if you didn't bring me home, then who did?" Scott and Julie just stared at each other, the question hanging between them. Stiles cleared his throat and looked like he was going to say something when she cut him off.

"And you," Julie sneered while pointing her stiletto-nailed finger a centimeter from his face, making him go cross-eyed, "If you ever pull something like that again, I will kill you with my bare hands. And they won't have to worry about finding half of your body, because itty bitty pieces of it will be strewn across the forrest!" She shouted at him, causing people to look in their direction. Scott put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down, and his hand squeezed the bite wound. She gasped.

"Ow, ow, ow," Julie screeched at him, pulling away, cradling her shoulder. She noticed her locker neighbor's icy blue eyes staring in shock at all three of them.

"Seriously," She looked at him. "Can I help you? Is there something you need help with?" She snapped at him again. He just stood there, mouth gaping like a fish.

"Uh, are-are you okay?" He asked timidly. She just stared at him, the steam building up inside of her.

"No!" I screeched before slamming my locker shut and storming off to her first period, pushing people out of her way as she went. The boys looked at each other.

"So…is she mad at me or…"

"Shut up, Stiles."

"Shutting up."

* * *

Julie sat at the last bench in the back of the chemistry lab. _Of course I'd have this class first thing in the morning. With Harris._ She sat on the stool with her elbows on the bench and her head in her hands. The bell rang as students were milling in, Harris among them.

"Ms. Roth, class started," He looked at his watch, "26 seconds ago and you've already called it quits. I think that may be a new personal record," Mr. Harris spoke with a smirk. She didn't even need to lift her head to know that. "Alright, everyone, don't get comfortable. I'll be partnering you up. The person you're with will be your lab partner for the remainder of this course. No besties. No switchies. No complaining," Everyone let out consecutive groans. "Really, your misery is music to my ears," Harris went down his list and Julie didn't pay attention until her name came up.

"Ms. Roth…you're with Isaac Lahey," She looked up and saw who he was pointing to on the opposite side of the room and connected with icy blue eyes. She felt like a bolt of lightning went straight through her brain. _Isaac. Isaac Lahey. Oh Jesus Christ. Is this because I asked you to not kill me last night? Is this my punishment? _She picked up her books and slowly trudged over to where he was sitting. "Today, Ms. Roth." She glared over to Harris.

"I'm going," She snapped with a scowl. She threw herself onto the stool with a groan and loudly dropped the books onto the bench. She laid her head on the textbooks while Harris was still pairing people up.

"Am I that awful to be around?" She opened my eyes and turned towards the voice to her right. She blinked at her partner.

"What?"

"D-did I do something to piss you off?" _Now I actually feel bad for snapping at him earlier_. She sighed heavily and picked herself up to a sitting position, facing him.

"I've had a very, _very_ rough past 24 hours. I was abandoned in the woods and mauled by a wolf. Thanks to that brain-dead knucklehead I call my friend. My face is messed up, I have a bite the size of a dinner plate on my shoulder, and I've lost my phone. So, unless you happened to be a mutant wolf or Stiles Stilinski, then no. You didn't do anything."

* * *

The day was passing by in a blur. _I think I may have hit my head pretty hard last night_. Sounds were becoming alarmingly louder. A migraine started to worm its way into Julie's head. She rubbed her temple as she headed to her locker to drop off some stuff before she went to the cafeteria to meet up with the guys.

As she turned the corner, she saw Isaac standing at his locker, lost in thought. Julie weaved her way through the remaining students in the hallway and got to her locker. She put the combination in and started to put her things in it. She kept glancing over to him, noticing him doing the same to her. She decided to just bite the bullet and man up. Woman up. Whatever.

"Isaac," She turned to face him. He had a startled expression on his face, ready for her to tear him a new one. "I'm sorry," She spit out. "I've been very pissy today, in case you didn't happen to notice," She chuckled nervously, making a small smile grace his lips, but just barely, "and you got caught in the crossfire that was meant exclusively for Stilinski. I was a dick in Chemistry. I'm actually a dick all the time, but you get what I'm saying." This actually brought a smile to his face. "So yeah, I'm sorry." She looked down at her booted feet in awkwardness. _THUMP, THUMP. THUMP, THUMP. THUMP, THUMP. _It sounded like blood was rushing to her ears. She narrowed her eyes, looking around the now empty hallway. _Julie. Julie. _

_"_Julie," She looked back up to Isaac, alarmed.

"What," The thumping continued.

"Are you alright?"

"Shh," She held a finger up. "Don't you hear that?" His eyes moved around, surveying the area.

"Hear wha-?" She shushed him again, moving closer to him. His body froze as she leaned her ear closer to his chest. "What are you doing?" He asked, completely thrown off by what she was doing.

"Shh," She shushed more forcefully. It was his chest. His heart was making the noise. _How couldn't he hear that?_ She realized just what she was doing, leaning about an inch away from his pounding chest, which only pounded harder and faster as she got closer. Julie could practically feel the heat radiating off of him, she was so close. She rolled her eyes up to look at his startled face looking down at her. She gave him an awkward smile and back away, slamming her locker shut.

"I'm just…I-I'm just gonna go. This way," She pointed in the opposite direction that she clearly wasn't going in, while backing away from him. "I'll uh…I'll see you around. You know, school. Places. Things. Bye." And with that, she took off like a bat out of Hell.

* * *

"Scott and I are going to look for his inhaler after practice. Wanna go?" Stiles came up to Julie's locker after school let out.

"Go back into the woods with you two? I'd rather saw off my arm. Which, if it isn't already infected, I might need to." She snarked back to him. He held his hands up in surrender.

"Wait, what happened to your arm?" The concern that clouded his face was startling.

"I was attacked by the wolf spawn of Satan!" She hastily grabbed her bag out of the locker and slammed it shut, turning and walking towards the doors that led to the parking lot.

"Wait!" He jumped in her way, "A wolf bit you?"

"That's what I said." She made to move around him, but he cut her off once more.

"A wolf bit you." He stated, more than asked, with a blank face.

"Yes." She growled, once more trying to go around him.

"Scott was bitten by a wolf last night too, but I told him it was impossible since wolves haven't been in California for like, sixty years."

"That thing bit Scott?" He nodded. Julie sighed, giving in.

"I'll meet you guys at the preserve after practice." She let that end the conversation and walked around Stiles. The second she opened the door though, it was like all of her senses were on overload. The colors were too bright. The sounds were too loud. The smells were too pungent. _Something is seriously wrong with me_. She ran as fast as she could to her car. Lydia Martin called her name as she ran past, but Julie didn't say a thing as she booked it to the beetle. The parking lot was adjacent to the lacrosse field, and she could see the team getting ready for practice from where she was parked. The sound of heels clicking on pavement were like nails on a chalkboard; birds chirped as they flew through the sky, sounding more like kamikaze planes; cars drove miles away, but sounded like they were all around her; the grunting of the players as they ran across the field echoed in her ears. She could hear _everything_. A sudden pain in her chest made her clench her chest with one and and hold onto the steering wheel until her knuckles were completely white.. It felt like the entire top part of her chest was about to cave in. _Am I having a heart attack? Can I have a heart attack? Can a 16 year old have a heart attack? _

_Breathe in. And out. And in. And out._ She clutched the steering wheel with both hands, trying to keep myself steeled onto the earth. A knock on her window startled her out of the trance she was in. Stiles waved at her like a goof. She looked to the clock on the dashboard; _5:00_. School just got out. How is it 5:00 already? She rolled down her window.

"I thought you were going to meet us there?" Scott walked up to the window next, both of them trying to squeeze in to talk.

"I was. I guess I kind of zoned out." She mumbled and rubbed her forehead.

"Okay…well, we're going. You meeting us still?" Stiles asked.

"Uh, you know what, I think I'm gonna sit this one out. I'm not feeling too well," They both looked disappointed, but sent her on her way with well wishes.

* * *

When Julie got home, the house was empty, which wasn't unusual. Her father usually came home from his law firm at around nine, while Ray came home whenever he pleased. Since Ray was a senior at Beacon Hills High, he usually did his own thing. And since he was the oldest, and a boy, his leash had a lot more slack on it than Julie's did. Total B.S., but she took what she could get. Her parents split when she was ten, her father taking total custody when her mother decided that she'd rather spend 90% of her year in Bora Bora with whatever new boyfriend she had than seeing her kids. It didn't bother Julie all that much. She couldn't remember her mother ever actually being a mom when she was around, and her father took some of the blame for that. He gave her mother everything she could ever ask for, and then some. He spoiled her and she acquired a taste for the finer things in life, and left her family in the dust when she realized that they would need to be put before her lavish lifestyle.

Julie came from a wealthy family. They weren't rolling in money, but they did live comfortably thanks to her father's successful law firm. He was one of, if not the best lawyer in the tri-county area. She lived a few streets away from Lydia Martin, who was notorious for having a loaded family, in a very large house, too large for a family of three, but it was theirs and it felt like home.

Her relationship with her father was somewhat strained, with the long hours that he worked, and the fact that he raised a teenage girl on his own, he was still clueless. Aside from being a lawyer, he was a relatively easy-going man. She enjoyed spending time with him whenever they got the rare only time they ever clashed heads was when she got caught doing something stupid with Stiles and Scott, so she really couldn't complain. He did things a normal parent should do, like make sure she was doing well in school, helped her make plans for her future, as well as her brother's. Considering he did it alone, he was a damn good father. He was a firm believer in enjoying the lifestyle they were fortunate enough to have, but didn't let his kids rely on it. While she wore designer clothes and drove a nice car, she was grateful for what she had.

She set her bag down in the foyer and grabbed a water from the kitchen before heading up to her room. As she opened the door, the sound of a mister vibrated through the room. She walked over to the mesh cage that was almost as tall as she was. If she wanted to, she could totally fit inside.

"Hello, Doris," She greeted the veiled chameleon that was housed inside amongst the branches, plants and vines. She opened the large cage door, getting ready to feed the critter when the normally friendly reptile puffed up and let out a violent hiss towards its owner. Startled, Julie jumped back. Never, in the four years that she's had the chameleon, has she ever been hissed at. "You okay, girl?" She reached out her hand for the lizard to climb on, but the creature pulled its alien-like hand back towards its chest, opened her mouth and hissed once more at the girl. Deciding to just let her be, Julie opened the cricket house at the bottom of the cage and shook off about a dozen crickets that were hanging onto a piece of egg crate, letting them roam around the cage so Doris could go on the hunt, then shut the door to the cage.

While dealing with the animal, she didn't notice her window open, nor did she notice the figure standing in the room with her. She also didn't notice the figure approach her until her world went black, the sound of a cell phone ringing as she faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

**_The animals are gathering to hunt me down,_**  
**_To take revenge for kidnapping your gentle sound._**  
**_Down to the river, in the current you start to shiver._**  
**_Return to the river, with the howling of all the animals that needed you._**

**_An uprising, impossible to fail._**  
**_The creatures come from land, and sea, and air._**  
**_The forest alive, with leaves, and bone, and hair, give the animals their whale._**


	3. Wasteland

"_Hey, you've reached Julie! Leave me a mess_-" Scott sighed in frustration and hung up his phone. "She's not answering me either," He said to Stiles. It had been three days since they'd last seen or heard from their friend, since she didn't show up to school on Friday, and now it was Sunday and still no answer from her. It was starting to become worrisome.

"She said she wasn't feeling well. What if she's just sick?" Stiles questioned while he drove around Beacon Hills. "She also said that she lost her phone," Scott turned to look at his friend.

"Stiles, she was bitten too! What if she's going through the change? What if she's freaking out somewhere? What if she kills someone?!" He started to panic. "She was supposed to be at Lydia's party on Friday night, but she never showed. It was a full moon! I went through it and I almost died. I had Derek to bring me down from that. Who did she have? We have to find her," Stiles nodded and pushed on the gas a little heavier.

* * *

_Two Days Earlier_

A consistent dripping noise was the first thing Julie heard when she started to regain consciousness. _Drip Drop Drip Drop_

"Wake up, little doe," The voice sounded like it was underwater. Julie's heavy, blurry eyes blinked, trying to clear themselves, but it was no use. "Come on, pup," A hand lightly tapped her cheek. After a moment, a skull cracking roar echoed through the room, startling the girl that was chained to a chair. Her glowing amber eyes responding to the noise before she even had a chance to understand what was happening. She looked down at her bound hands and chained body, immediately thrashing to free herself. "Ah, ah, ah, little one," A man's voice chuckled from behind her. A hand ran itself over one shoulder and to the other, squeezing on the spot where there should've been a large bite, but as he squeezed, she felt nothing. Surprised, she followed the hand, up to the arm, and finally to the face of the man who held her captive. The main thing she noticed was that half of his, otherwise handsome, face was horribly burned. He was older, maybe late twenties to early thirties, and he just oozed confidence.

"You do understand that you just kidnapped a sixteen year old girl, right?" Julie's raspy voice called to him. "A sixteen year old girl whose father just so happens to be the most successful prosecutor in northern California," She pushed further. He just stared at her with an amused grin on his face.

"Is that so?" She nodded. He just chuckled and pulled something out of his pocket. "You know," He brought the object to her face. _My phone_. "This thing hasn't stopped ringing _all day_,"

"Maybe you should answer it," She bit back.

"Hmm, let's see. Twelve missed calls from _Dad_. Five missed calls from _Ray_." He looked up at her, gauging her reaction. Her face stayed stoic. "Twelve texts and three calls from _Stiles_," He chuckled again. "Eight texts and two calls from _Scott_. My, aren't you popular," Julie rolled her eyes. She looked around the dank basement, then settled her eyes back on the man.

"What day is it?" He raised his unburned eyebrow at her.

"Not the first question I'd thought you'd ask, but it's Friday," She shook her head.

"People are going to be looking for me. Just let me go and no one will hear about this," She tried to plead. The man chuckled and gently shook his head before bending down to come face to face with her.

"You have quite a surprise in store for you, little beta. You're not going anywhere quite just yet."

* * *

_Present Time_

Once the boys made it to the Sheriff's station, Stiles went in alone. He slid past the young officer up front and walked to his dad's office. As he walked further down the hall, he heard a voice almost shout.

"_I don't know where she would've gone, John! She doesn't just disappear like this!_" The distraught man raised his voice. Stiles peaked his head around the corner to see who was in the small room. The sheriff put his hand out to calm the man as he tried to fill out the missing persons report. Mr. Roth, Julie's father.

"_Aside from when she's with Stiles and Scott, she doesn't just leave,_" The young man sitting next to the distraught man spoke up. Ray.

"_John, her car is in the driveway. She didn't take anything with her. She's not answering her phone. And her window was wide open. I need to find my daughter,_" The man pleaded.

"_We are going to do everything we can to find her, Rob._" The Sheriff replied to the distraught man. "_We don't have a lot to work off of, but we won't rest until she's found._" Stiles heard shuffling feet and looked around for a place to hide.

"_That's all I can ask for. Thank you,_" They shook hands and walked out of the sheriff's office.

"I'll keep you posted," The sheriff replied, noticing something moving in his peripherals. Once the Roth's were gone, he turned around and walked down the hall to see his son sitting in a cell, playing on his phone.

"I could've sworn we had a conversation about invasion of privacy," Stiles jumped at his father's voice. "I should just lock you in here," Stiles ignored him and got up.

"So she is missing?" He questioned his dad. The Sheriff sighed, getting fed up with his son sticking his nose in official police business. "Dad, I need to know! She's one of my best friends. She hasn't returned my calls or texts since Thursday." The sheriff looked conflicted, but nodded nonetheless. Stiles took off running back to the front of the station and to his Jeep. "Did you see who just came out?" He questioned Scott.

"Julie's dad and brother,"

"She is missing, Scott." They looked at each other. "How exactly are we going to find her?" Scott just gave him a look. "No. No, no, no. No way."

"Just drive." Scott commanded.

"Scott," Stiles pleaded.

"Stiles," Scott growled. Stiles slammed his hands on the steering wheel in frustration, then immediately apologized to the vehicle.

* * *

_Two Days Earlier_

"Beta?" Julie questioned. "Why am I chained up?" She tried to wiggle more, but it was no use. The man pulled up a chair and sat in front of her with one leg casually crossed over the other, his ankle resting on his knee. "Who are you?!" She shouted. The man's eyes flashed a violent red, making her choke in a gasp.

"Settle down, pup." She felt herself involuntarily shrink in submission. "We're going to play a quick game of catch-up, then you are going to assist me with something,"

"Your eyes. How do they do that? What are you?" She shot question after question at him, succeeding in annoying the Alpha.

"God, I already regret biting you," He rubbed his temple.

"You? You're the freak of nature that bit me?! You-You…what?" He leaned forward, unhooking the chains that strapped Julie to the chair, but left her hands bound to the arm rests.

"The chains were a precaution. Considering it is the full moon tonight, I didn't know what state you'd wake up in, but no worries. You get out of hand, and I'll snap you back into shape. Literally." He smirked.

"Full moon? What the hell are you talking about?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I gave you a bite, a gift. That is, it will be if you treat it as such."

* * *

_Present Time_

The boys pulled up to the remains of the burned down Hale House. The brooding beta was already waiting for them on his porch with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Both boys got out of the jeep, Stiles staying by the vehicle while Scott walked up to Derek.

"We need your help."

* * *

**_Change my attempt, good intentions_**

**_Limbs tied, skin tight_**

**_Self inflicted his perdition_**

**_Should I, could I_**


	4. Words as Weapons

Julie agreed to hear him out, if he agreed to untie her. Seeing as how Peter wouldn't even need to lift his finger to make her stay put, he agreed. Now he regrets not taping her mouth shut. She paced around the damp basement, trying to wrap her head around the situation.

"So _Peter_, what you're telling me is that you bit Scott, hoping to add him to your pack," He nodded, "You bit me because you want _me_ to be in your pack, which to be honest, I cannot fathom why,"

"Minor details," He shrugged.

"And now you need _my_ help in getting _Scott_ to accept the change and join the pack?" He nodded. "And you don't already have a pack because…?" Peter rolled his eyes.

"Minor details," He dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"Of course," She rolled her eyes, "And you're my Alpha? and Scott's, technically,"

"Technically," He flashed his red eyes.

"And he doesn't want to join you because…?"

"He's a teenage boy filled with hormones and angst," Peter said plainly. "The bite is going to amplify that. That's where you come in,"

"And you kidnapped me why…?"

"God, with the questions," He groaned, throwing his head back. Julie shrugged and leaned against a wall.

"You did this to yourself, bud." She smirked. Peter checked his watch, then looked at the girl.

"Now, first things first. Tonight is your first full moon,"

"What's going to happen?"

"You _trust_ me, that's whats going to happen. You _trust_ me, and I'll get you through it. Without trust in your alpha, there is no pack. I need you to get that concept through your head while it's still clear," She nodded and cleared her throat. Peter walked up to Julie and placed both hands on her shoulders, holding her in place. "When you feel it, go with it. Don't try to fight it. You're going to feel rage. Your hormones are going to skyrocket. Everything you were as a human is going to amplify. Killing will be your first instinct, but you won't need to worry about that…yet," He let go of her to walk around the cellar like room with his hands held behind his back.

"Yet?" A look of confusion crossed her features.

"We'll get to that, pup. You," He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger, causing her to blink and shake her head, "won't be leaving this room tonight," This is the night that was crucial to her loyalty to him. If he breaks her tonight, if he asserts his dominance to her wolf during its first turn, their bond would be almost, if not completely, unbreakable.

"What about Scott? Shouldn't you be helping him too?" She asked, timidly. Peter smirked.

"Don't worry about Scott. He'll be just fine."

* * *

It seemed like hours passed before Julie's skull felt like it was going to implode. She clutched the sides of her head as the pain blinded her. She fell to her knees, curling into a ball as some of her bones started to shift unnaturally. The pain in her jaw was probably the worst. She felt her lower jaw pop out and extend, large sharp canine fangs grew on the top and bottom jaw. Course hair sprouted down the sides of her face, like sideburns. Her hands braced herself on the floor. The tips of her fingers burning as thick, claw like nails grew before her eyes, popping off the acrylic nails she previously had on. Her vision was turning red, her breath short. Peter just stood on the other side of the room, waiting. Once the turn was finished, she just crouched on the floor, panting. She didn't make a move until Peter started walking towards her. She couldn't control herself. It was like Julie was on autopilot while the wolf took the wheel. The wolf slashed, kicked, punched and tried to throw the alpha any which way she could. She needed to escape this room. She needed to kill. She needed to feed. The bloodlust was clouding any sort of judgement she may have had before.

After a few hours of the wolf aggressively fighting her alpha, Peter had finally had enough. With a clawed hand, he gripped her by her neck and slammed her against the cement wall. The beta snarled and growled like a beast at the alpha, not truly understanding just who was in charge.

"Enough!" His alpha voice commanded as his face morphed. When she didn't immediately comply, Peter dug his nails into her skin and let his eyes glow blood red. The eyes commanded the little beta to obey. It took a few minutes, but by the end of the standoff, the little beta had her tail tucked between her legs, whimpering in submission. The smirk on Peter's face was one that could rival the cat that ate the canary.

As the moon slowly sank and the sun rose, Julie morphed back into the human girl she used to be. Her body sank to the wet floor and she let sleep take over her exhausted mind. Peter sank into the shadows, his scars slowly disappearing with the little bit of power he gained by harboring a beta into his pack. His plan was beginning to unfold.

* * *

When Julie woke up that morning, it felt like she had been cracked in the head with a baseball bat. She picked herself up, pulled at the wet clothes on her body -disgusted-, and dragged herself to the set of stairs leading up.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Peter greeted her as soon as she opened the door. He sat at the dinning table, drinking a steaming cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. She looked around nervously, not knowing what to do or say. "Come, sit," He commanded, and it felt like a magnet was pulling her to the chair. "Look who made the front cover of the Beacon Hills Tribune!" He turned the front page to Julie, letting her see her own face on the front page. "Daughter of Beacon Hills' Famed Lawyer Missing. Hm, not bad. Though, I would've came up with something a little jazzier than that,"

"Everyone probably thinks I'm cut in half somewhere," She deadpanned, looking at her alpha. "I'm hungry, wet, and still somewhat angry. I feel like I was hit by a train and _what the hell happened to your face?_" Her voice getting higher as she got a good look at the Alpha.

"Is it too much? I was going for a less _burned alive_ look," Peter deadpanned as he ran a hand over the smooth skin.

"Cute," She moved to sit at the table, diagonally from Peter. Her jeans gave a wet squelch as they sat on the vinyl. Peter opened his mouth, "Don't. Even. Say it." Julie ground out through clenched teeth. Peter shrugged with a smug look on his face as he took a sip of his coffee. "So, why me?"

"I saw..._potential_," Peter didn't look up from the newspaper as he said this.

"Potential?" He nodded, "And Scott?" He put the newspaper down with a sigh.

"I took a risk with Scott. I knew the bite would take, but the way he's pushing my hold on him away is what has me...concerned."

"So you were after Scott, and I just so happened to also be there. If I hadn't been with them, I wouldn't be in this mess?"

"Well, no. I've been watching you for a while, pup. You were number one on my list,"

"List? You have a list?" The panic in her voice making itself known. Peter put the paper down and looked at her.

"I did. You. You were my list. Scott happens to be a little bonus,"

* * *

With a strict set of orders, Peter let Julie leave late Sunday afternoon with the promise that he would see her soon. When she exited the house, she saw that she was in a normal neighborhood that was relatively close to the preserve. Her first orders were to cut through the trees of the last house's yard before the preserve and walk around for a while before coming out of the entrance.

"_You see, werewolves have this little nifty trick_," Peter's voice played through Julie's head, remembering what he said to her, as she stepped through the brush. "_We have our own little lie detectors. So, what you need to do is keep any answers to all of their questions, especially Scott and Derek's, truthful. No lies. But you're not going to tell them the truth they're looking for. Do you understand?_"

Julie stumbled along, purposely cutting up her clothes as she went. Looking too put together would raise suspicions. For the third time since she left Peter, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, looking at the screen.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice raspy and raw, like she hadn't had water in as long as she'd been gone.

"_Julie! Julie is that you?!_" Time to see what her acting skills were made of.

"Stiles?" She cried out. "Stiles? I'm so scared. I don't know what's happening to me," She sobbed, letting fake tears stream down her face.

"_Julie, I need you to tell me where you are,_" Stiles replied calmly.

"I-I just came out of the p-preserve. I-I'm walking down the road. Everything hurts," She should've been feeling some kind of guilt, but she was actually impressed with herself.

"_Stay where you are! I'm calling my dad and we're coming to get you! Just stay there!_" Within ten minutes, two squad cars, an ambulance, and Stile's jeep came into view just as Julie collapsed onto the ground. A few officers began searching the perimeter as the sheriff came to her.

"Julie, sweetheart, can you hear me?" He put his hand out, like he would to approach a scared animal. She lifted her head to look at him and began sobbing uncontrollably. "You're safe now, Julie. You're safe. Are you hurt?" With a shake of her head, she let the sheriff help her up. Just to add a little bit of dramatics, she let her legs give out. The sheriff called the paramedics over with their gurney, strapping her on and rolling her into the back of the vehicle.

"Julie!" Stile's face popped up before the sheriff shut the doors, banging on them to let the driver know they could leave. With sirens blaring, the ambulance flew through town and to the emergency room. With an oxygen mask strapped to her face, Julie was wheeled into the hospital and through the emergency room. Mrs. McCall's surprised face caught her eye as she was wheeled to a room.

The doctors and nurses ran several tests, none of them coming back with negative results, obviously. They just diagnosed her with dehydration and exhaustion.

"And you couldn't see his face?" Sheriff Stilinski questioned for the third time. _Of course I saw his face_, she thought. _He looked like Two-Face Harvey Dent, but I'm obviously not telling you that. _She shook her head.

"No, I couldn't. Sheriff, you've asked me over and over," Julie started to sob, "I don't know where I was," Lie. "I don't know how I got there," Somewhat truth. "And I don't know who took me!" Lie, lie, lie. "I just remember coming home from school, going up to my room, and then everything went black." Clearly uncomfortable with the sobbing girl before him, the sheriff tried to calm her down.

"Okay, okay. I'm done. I know it's hard, and you're brave for telling me what you could. Everyone is just so relieved to know that you're okay, sweetheart." He gave a light squeeze to her hand and left the room.

Seconds later, her father and brother rushed into the room. Her father wrapped her up in his arms, holding her tight with tears running down her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist as best as she could with the I.V. in her arm. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and held her at arm's length, searching for any visible harm that came to her.

"I'm fine, dad." She rasped out. The tears were stuck in her father's eyes. That made her feel the slightest bit guilty. Ray came up to her next, with tears in his eyes as well.

"I don't know what we'd do if we lost you, sis," He choked out. "After the girl they found in the woods, we expected the worst. We didn't want that to be you," My dad rubbed Ray's back.

"I'm going to go talk to the doctor, okay? I'll be right back." She nodded as her father left. Ray sat in the chair next to her bed and held her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head and sighed. The less she had to lie to her family, the better. A few moments later her father came back in.

"The doctor said that they're keeping you in for the next few days just to monitor you. They said that psychological trauma usually follows these types of things and they just want to make sure you're in the best care possible. Melissa McCall even offered to be your nurse," He said with a smile, it was tight, and you could see the stress behind his eyes, but there was also relief. Now that she actually looked at the both of them, she could see the dark circles under their eyes from lack of sleep.

"Why don't you guys go home and sleep? I'm not going anywhere and I'll be in capable hands," She motioned to the monitors and IVs attached to her.

"No-" Her father began to protest.

"Dad, I'll be fine. You look like you're about to fall over. And besides, someone needs to feed Doris," He chuckled and looked at Ray.

"I don't know how you do it, the bugs are gross," She chuckled, and after a few more minutes of visiting, they left with the promise of returning the next day. She let her head finally rest on the pillow, actual exhaustion kicking in. After the events of the last week, she was ready for an actual night of sleep.

* * *

**_say, can you help me right before the fall?  
_****_take what you can and leave me to the wolves_**

**_all I really want is something beautiful to say  
keep me guessing, keep me terrified_**

**_all I really want is something beautiful to say_****_  
to never fade away  
I want to live forever_**


End file.
